News - Afghanistan

The Nato-led international forces (Isaf) in Afghanistan cannot take military action against any cross-border incursions into the country because this was excluded from the Isaf mandate at the start of the Afghan war in 2001, an Isaf spokesman said Monday.

Brig Gen Gunter Katz said that the proposal of the Afghan delegation at the first Bonn Conference in 2001 which sought to obligate Isaf to defend Afghanistan from any foreign threats was never accepted by the United Nations.

"In the first Bonn conference in December 2001 there was a proposal of the Afghan delegation to include the protection of the border of Afghanistan in one of the annexes. 

Actually this annex was part of the Bonn proposal however, this annex never made it into our mandate that we received from the United Nations," Katz said at the press conference in Kabul.

The Isaf mandate obliged the Nato-led forces to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists again, Katz said.

His comments come after both countries have increasingly blamed each other of harbouring insurgents who conduct attacks on the other side of the border.

The Afghan government has also accused Pakistan military of shelling some of its eastern provinces and has requested Isaf's assistance in stopping the attacks.

Katz emphasised that the ongoing cross-border attacks between both Afghanistan and Pakistan is a matter of concern for Isaf and negotiations are underway to tackle the issues.

"It remains a matter of concern that there is cross-border of activities on both side of the borders and we understand that there is a need to step up the fight against the terrorism and extremism in the border area," Katz said.

"We will continue to discuss this issue together with the Pakistani military and the Afghan Army," he added.

Katz also noted that peace and stability in Afghanistan depends on the positive engagement of both Afghanistan and Pakistan to take necessary action against the insurgent safe havens on both sides of the border region.